As the switch to high definition television marches on more and more people are trading their old bulky sets for sleek, big screen LCD and Plasma televisions. The number of options on high definition televisions is as complex as the technology used to get the digital signal from the sound stage to your living room. With strange labels such as 1080i, 1080p, and 720p, which one is the best? For most people a better question is which one will I be happy with?
1080i vs 1080p vs 1080i, Which One Is Best and Why?
The answer to the question of which one is best is easy to answer, 1080p. In progressive scan displays (that's what the little "p" stands for) all of the pixels of the image are painted on the screen in a single pass. When viewing an interlaced image you the screen paints half the screen in one pass and the other half in a second pass. Most experts agrees that progressive scan images are better. The problem is that at this point in time no one is broadcasting in 1080p. In fact, the only real place to get true 1080p images is to buy a high definition DVD player and high definition movies to play on it (such as the HD-DVD or Blu-Ray formats).
But what about 720p?
720p is what the majority of broadcast high definition content is being transmitted in at this time. The difference between 720p and 1080p is the number of lines in the image, 720 lines versus 1080 lines. An image with 1080 lines will have a higher level of realism and definition than an image containing 1080. Put this fact together with the previous information about progressive format versus interlaced formats and you can see why 1080p is the gold standard in high definition television.
So what should I buy?
The final decision on what kind of television to buy is almost always tied to a persons budget. The actual high definition television is just one of many expenses including cables and mounting hardware so remember to allow at least an extra $400 for these necessary extras (see this article on getting the best deal on HDMI cables). 720p and 1080i high definition televisions are available now at very reasonable prices. The same size television with 1080p capability will likely cost three to five hundred dollars more. If you are the kind of person that sees yourself keeping this new high definition television for the entire life of the unit then most people would suggest saving the extra cash and buying a 1080p set, especially if you intend to watch high definition DVD's on it. If, however you think you will trade up to a newer television in a few years then a 720p/1080i set would be fine as significant 1080p broadcast content is still many years away.
